Testing and Accommodations in SIRAS
A topic guide for entering, reviewing, transmitting, verifying, and troubleshooting statewide assessment participation and accessibility information.
It explains where information is maintained, how it reaches TOMS, and which detailed procedure applies to the task at hand.
How Testing Data Moves Through SIRAS
Assessment participation and accessibility decisions begin with the student’s educational team. Those decisions are entered on the applicable IEP or 504 forms and become part of the student’s Current assessment information after the meeting is completed and the plan is accepted.
- The team determines the appropriate assessment, designated supports, accommodations, and other testing settings.
- Staff enter and review the information in SIRAS.
- District staff send the information to TOMS by either the student-level API or a district/site batch export.
- The testing coordinator verifies the resulting settings in TOMS.
After an API update or batch upload, review the student in TOMS and confirm that the expected settings were accepted.
Where to Enter and Review Assessment Information
Use Student Info → Assessment Info to review the student’s Current assessment information. Meeting forms may also collect assessment participation and accommodation decisions that later update Current data.
- Assessment Data Help — screen-level help for the Assessment Info page.
- Alternate Assessment in SIRAS — entering CAA and Alternate ELPAC participation decisions.
A proposed or partially accepted plan may not update the Current assessment information used for reporting. Confirm the parent response and the source of the values before transmitting them.
Choose the TOMS Reporting Method
| Method | Best used for | Detailed procedure |
|---|---|---|
| Student-level TOMS API | Reviewing or replacing settings for one student, including updates after a completed meeting. | TOMS API for SIRAS |
| Batch export and upload | Establishing or refreshing settings for a district, school, or eligible found set. | Exporting TOMS CAASPP/ELPAC Data from SIRAS |
Coordinate the initial or broad batch upload first. Use the API for student-level review and follow-up where appropriate.
CAASPP, CAA, ELPAC and Alternate ELPAC
SIRAS may contain participation and accessibility information for multiple statewide testing programs. The applicable selections depend on the student’s grade, language status, disability-related needs, and team decisions.
- CAASPP / Smarter Balanced: review the selected test and applicable universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations.
- CAA: record alternate-assessment participation when the team has determined that the student meets the applicable criteria.
- ELPAC: review designated supports, accommodations, and applicable domain information.
- Alternate ELPAC: record alternate participation and verify that the correct program is represented in TOMS.
Use Alternate Assessment in SIRAS for the detailed alternate-assessment workflow.
Review Data Before Testing
Complete an organized review before the district’s testing window. The review should identify missing, contradictory, outdated, or out-of-grade information before a file is uploaded or student-level updates are sent.
- Confirm that required special education and enrollment information has reached CALPADS.
- Review students with blank assessment settings or missing supports.
- Review records with settings that appear inconsistent with grade, assessment program, or current team decisions.
- Resolve values such as dependency markers or grade exemptions that require local review.
- Coordinate corrections with the IEP/504 team when the documented plan must be changed.
The complete review-and-export sequence is in Exporting TOMS CAASPP/ELPAC Data from SIRAS.
Verify Results in TOMS
Transmission is not complete until the testing coordinator confirms the outcome in TOMS.
- Confirm that the student is present under the correct LEA and school.
- Confirm that the expected testing program is assigned.
- Review the resulting designated supports and accommodations.
- Review any rejected records, warnings, or unexpected omissions.
- Document the correction and resend or re-upload when needed.
Troubleshooting
| What you are seeing | Use this resource |
|---|---|
| The student is not present in TOMS. | Why Is a Student Missing from TOMS? |
| The student is present, but the API connection, query, or replacement fails. | TOMS API for SIRAS |
| A batch file is rejected, incomplete, or produces unexpected results. | Exporting TOMS CAASPP/ELPAC Data from SIRAS |
| The student appears to have the wrong alternate-assessment selection. | Alternate Assessment in SIRAS |
Alternate Assessment Monitoring
SELPA and district administrators may need to identify students assigned to CAA or Alternate ELPAC and review the results by disability and secondary disability.
Use 1% Threshold for Alternate Assessment Reporting for the specialized query and statistical-report procedure.
